- My model of MX-5 is: __nc2
- I’m based near: __exeter
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __lowering
Two bags of cement in the boot super cheap at under £10
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Blue-Circle-General-Purpose-Cement---25kg/p/224661
I have assumed this post wanted silly answers
Fat Passenger
There appears to be a general consensus that the nc looks and probably handles better with a lowering kit.
However, it is not uncommon to get a poor result due to tightening the relevant bolts up with the car jacked up and wheels dangling, thus ‘setting’ the suspension in a raised state
It occurs to me that it might be possible to turn this to advantage by loosening the bolts and then compressing the suspension (heavy pal?) before retightening in order to ‘set’ the suspension in a slightly compressed and therefore lowered state.
Could this work or would any effect only be temporary??
It ruins the bushes. Springs are the way to go.
Good point
If sensible answers are accepted from experience I would go straight to aftermarket coilovers.
Lowering springs do the job but having experienced them on an NC yes it is a cost effective way to get that car lowered.
Loads of comments if you use the search function about lowering springs v fitting aftermarket coilovers. Then it’s a question of which brand.
For my sensible answer , I went for just lowering springs on my sport , and yes it looks great , and kept my rolling project spend inline with the finance controller, however I will be changing to coilovers in the future for better handling , so would go for coilovers as Mick says
HIs comment “I don’t care how it handles, it’s for the look” says it all
Bit initial-understeery to snap oversteer but a little alignment would doubtless fix it.
for silly answers,
the quickest and cheapest thing to do, is let the air out of the tyres.
You need nothing more than a 30mm lowering It doesn’t sound much but it is ! Check first as I had my MK 3 lowered 30mm I’m not sure if the series 2 sits as high off the springs as a MK 3 One thing for sure They look much better when correctly lowered The more expensive solution is Coilovers then you can chose your setting at Will… best regards. From Ray Lovely neck of the woods Exeter
Or put 7 hundredweight of led piping in the boot and have my mother in law in the Front passenger seat. The lopsided bit is then corrected by the driver wearing a diving suit …
Americans often seem to just take a grinder or even torch to the coils
They are Americans.
Not just Americans. A good friend, form RUC copper, did the same to his UK MX5. Worked out great for him. When you cut coils off you automatically increase the spring rate. Perfectly ok on the NA if you correctly champfer the ends of the coils.
Coil spring calculator:
Stock NA springs specs:
1990 front red
0.43" wire diameter
3.27" coil diameter
11.12" free length
5.91 number of active coils
Spring Rate: 164.17lbs
1990 rear blue
0.40" wire diameter
3.27" coil diameter
13.37" free length
7.68 number of active coils
Spring Rate: 96.94lbs
The calculator is crude, in that it doesn’t take account of free length, but you can estimate, by percentage, how much the spring rate will go up by if you cut off 1 complete coil (which is probably like half an inch drop).